Contributed Photo
The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce and the City of Derby held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late October.
DERBY — The Quail & Ale is the latest addition to the Valley’s restaurant and bar scene.
Husband and wife residents Jason and Sarah Miller celebrated the grand opening of their hip, new neighborhood pub located at 328 Derby Ave. last month (although their doors officially opened Sept. 23) with city leaders joining for a ribbon-cutting.
The Millers were approved to open a restaurant from Derby’s Planning and Zoning Commission back in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the couple’s plans on the back burner.
A black awning bearing the restaurant’s name and white quail logo was installed on the “historic brewery building” in February 2020, just prior to life getting turned upside down. The brewery with its iconic brick exterior was famous for producing Old New Englander Ale in the 1930s, according to the Millers, and almost a century later, a rebirth of new ales and classic American tavern fare has taken over the space.
The Valley Indy held a Q&A session with Jason Miller about all things Quail & Ale.
Valley Indy: How did you come up with the quirky name?
Miller: My wife and I were watching some random old black and white movie called “The Palm Beach Story.” There was a funny scene where a group drunken, millionaire hunters take over a train from New York to Florida with their guns and hunting dogs, and they called themselves “The Ale & Quail Club.” We both thought that would be a good name for a bar or restaurant. Made a note of it and here we are.
Valley Indy: Why was the historic brewery building the perfect location?
Miller: We wanted to stay local, specifically in Derby. We wanted to renovate and update an older building with lots of character. We get so sad when we look at some of the great old buildings around here that are either being ignored or under-utilized. We realized an older building, while being outwardly charming, would present its own unique set of challenges and we were right. Throw a worldwide pandemic in the middle of things and the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives got unimaginably harder.
Valley Indy: Speaking of COVID, how did the pandemic play into the delayed opening?
Miller: We were hoping to open last summer (2020). We had a lot of challenges renovating and updating such an old building even before the pandemic hit. Being a relatively small space (about 1,000 sq. ft. with a 300 sq. ft. kitchen) and with no opportunities for outdoor dining, rushing to open last year would have been a big problem with the limited capacity rules that were in place. Also, we ran into a ton of supply chain issues. Not being able to get materials or equipment was a huge problem. Also, the costs of things like flooring and sheetrock skyrocketed very, very quickly so it was a practice in patience and careful budgeting.
Valley Indy: While you don’t have previous restaurant experience, what prepared you for this adventure?
Miller: One of the silver linings of the pandemic was it gave us a lot of extra time to research and develop recipes and procedures. It allowed us to really fine-tune what we wanted the customer experience to be like- a cozy and comfortable atmosphere with great, thoughtful food and fun, creative drinks. We were able to run a lot of ‘under the radar’ happy hours for friends and family to help identify some of our strengths and weaknesses.
Valley Indy: Do you have a signature dish that people must try?
Miller: We really are trying to stress quality over quantity. The menu changes slightly week to week. If it’s a customer’s first time here, we suggest one of our small plates like Wisconsin Fried Cheese curds or Poutine. We’re very proud of our Signature Burger. Also, on Sundays we’ve been serving a Sunday Roast with all the trimmings. Our customers have really been responding to this and I think we’ve sold out every Sunday so far so we’ll definitely keep this up, at least for the colder weather months.
Valley Indy: What can customers expect when they walk through the doors?
Miller: We are so proud of what we’ve been able to create here in Derby. My wife, Sarah, and I originally set out to build a place that she and I would want to go to ourselves. A place closer than New Haven or Fairfield, but that has a vibe similar to some of our favorite haunts from lower Manhattan (Lower East Side/West Village).
Valley Indy: How many employees do you have?
Miller: We have a dozen employees. Our staff is absolutely fantastic and we so proud that we’ve been able to put together such a great team at a time when hiring employees has been another unforeseen challenge caused by the pandemic. Especially in the kitchen, Chef Carlos has helped take our ideas and recipes, and execute and present them in a way that is totally next level.
Valley Indy: What are your hours of operation?
Miller: Due mostly to ongoing food supply chain issues and the workers shortage still going on, right now we made the decision to only open Thursdays through Sundays. We open at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays and open at noon on Sunday. In early 2022, we’ll re-evaluate and see if it’s a good idea to start opening more days or maybe for Saturday lunches.
Valley Indy: Despite all the challenges of opening a restaurant, especially during a pandemic, are you glad you did it?
Miller: I can’t even tell you how proud we are. We can only be as great as the people we surround ourselves with and our staff has been so essential in helping us realize our dream.
We’re so humbled by the tremendous support and positive response that we’ve been getting from the local community. It’s stressful as hell, but my wife and I couldn’t be happier.
For more information about The Quail & Ale, visit their website.
